Doug
Clark
Glass Artist for Eagle Bay Designs
Our glass artist for Eagle Bay Designs is Doug
Clark. He was raised in Anderson, Indiana and lived
in a few other places before he settled in Florida.
He wasn't always a glass artist. Before he moved
into this profession, he worked for over twenty
years for the Walt Disney Company here in Central
Florida. It was here that he learned the importance
of pleasing the "guests" and of providing excellent
quality products and fine service. He has carried
this knowledge and experience over into the world
of glass art. He takes great pride in bringing
quality to his creations.
Doug makes a variety of glass beads, including his
famous ladybugs, flowers and geometric designs.
Besides making quality glass beads, he is also
quite accomplished at creating beautiful sterling
silver cores for many of his glass charms. These
are not glued in rivets, but are finely handcrafted
into place and highly polished. You will notice the
difference in Doug's handcrafted beads as compared
to ones that are mass produced.
"How Does He Do That?"
This is a question we are
frequently asked. Every bead Doug creates is
individually made in a flame from a torch. The
glass is melted, carefully crafted and made on a
mandrel so there will be a center hole. (A mandrel
is another name for a long metal bar.)
After he crafts a bead in the flame, he puts them
in a kiln (like a very hot oven) which is set at
over 900 degrees. Then Doug's beads are put through
a special process called annealing. After a time of
bathing in the kiln, the beads are allowed to cool
slowly and over the course of the next few hours
are brought down to room temperature. (Our kiln is
digitally controlled.) This whole process is the
key to making them very durable. Many other
companies who offer glass beads do not anneal their
glass beads in kilns. They may break much more
easily. Glass that is annealed is of a much higher
quality. Annealed beads should last a lifetime.
Another area in which we are quality conscious is
the sterling silver cores. You will find that these
silver cores have been beautifully handcrafted by
Doug. Every silver core is made from a single piece
of 925 sterling silver and has been highly
polished.
We feel that quality is of the upmost importance
and that is why we take the extra time and cost to
make sure your beads are made right.
